My sleep is constantly disturbed by nightmares. The Careers have torn me apart teased me and mutilated me in the bloodbath a total of eight times during the night. Each time I wake up and cry like a baby wanting its mother. It's just about sinking in that I'm a contender in the 74th Hunger Games and I think that's why I'm such a state. The sun is starting to rise and of course I never closed the curtains the night before. The room is cold; my window has also been open all night.

Groggily I sit and rub my eyes. They're puffy from crying, I can feel it. I stand up and walk to my bathroom and I look in the mirror above the metallic looking sink.

My hair, wavy from drying naturally the previous day is bed-head like. It reaches my chest and it looks lifeless. I look lifeless. My eyes have nothing in them; there are dark bags under my eyes. My skin is pale and pasty. I quickly look away and take a shower, washing my hair again in an attempt to calm it down. After I'm finished I get a towel and wrap it around myself before I walk out into my bedroom. I ransack the drawers for clean underwear. I'm not going to wear all of the Capitol's clothes yet and so after I find some clean underwear I put my mother's dress back on along with my weather beaten flat sandals.

The dress still smells of pine trees. It won't be long before I'll have to give it to the Capitol.

I leave my room and head to the car that we sat in when we first met our mentor and ate the previous day. No-one is up other than me and a few waiters who are laying the table for breakfast. I go and sit in a tub chair and watch the world go by. There are a lot of mountains going by and soon enough Petal walks into the room as I can hear her heels making a racket against the wooden flooring.

"There you are! I was beginning to think that you'd run off!" She exclaims. I wonder how many times tributes have actually tried to run off on a train or tried to kill themselves because it is bound to have happened at least once or twice. I turn to her and she sits down at the now laid out table. Today she's wearing a green wig which has quite a lot of volume and is curled along with a blue dress with a scalloped neckline which reaches her knees. And blue heels which are even larger than the previous day's footwear. "Do you want breakfast?"

"Just some toast." I stand up and take a seat opposite her and a waiter comes along and takes our food order. Petal chooses the same as me, toast and jam. She's only tiny really, quite frail actually. She should really eat more than what she eats but I don't want to be the one to point it out.

"Johanna and Oak should be here in the next ten minutes. We'll be in the Capitol in about an hour so they really need to hurry up."

I nod absent-mindedly and soon our toast comes. I quickly butter all of the slices before I smother them all in some kind of jam. It isn't like the wild strawberry jam we get at home. It's a purple colour and tastes not as sweet. I don't mind. "What's it like; the Capitol?" I query before I take a bite of toast. I'm careful not to leave jam marks around my mouth.

"Oh, it's wonderful. It's big and elegant and there isn't a bad part of it. There are whole sectors dedicated to fashion." She sighs dreamily. "I spend years in that part trying to make it as a stylist in the Games. Apparently I can only become one when I have more experience."

"You'll get there." I begin. It's funny that she cares more about fashion than she does the teenagers that she's meant to be looking after. I thought she was meant to be making the end of our lives as comfortable as possible.

A smile creeps onto her face before she takes a small bite of toast. "Thank you." She states quietly. "And I'm so glad I have civilised tributes."

I smile back at her. A compliment goes far in this world. My attention however is drawn to Johanna who is the next person to enter the room. She wears a long flowy skirt and top which are a little too casual for mentors but who honestly cares? Johanna can do what she wants to now she's a victor. Her hair is also freshly washed but like mine it's still damp. Myself and Petal both give her smiles, but she's busy looking around the room.

"Where's Oak?"

Petal nibbles on a piece of toast like a rabbit eating a carrot. "I woke him up; he must have fallen back asleep."

Johanna takes a seat diagonally from me and asks a waiter for a black coffee. In under a minute it turns up and I can't help but to be mesmerised by this drink. The smell is strong and we only have it in 7 if we're rich. "Typical boy." She sighs and taps her nails against the mug which causes what I believe to be the Panem anthem to ring around the room. "So today is the big day. You'll be taken to the Remake Centre. Know what that is?"

I shake my head. I'm beginning to get nervous and suddenly I don't feel hungry anymore. I push my plate forward.

"Basically Layna, the main stylist for 7 will get you looking special for tonight's opening ceremony." The emphasis on special does make me think I'll be wearing a tree suit. I shudder. "You'll be preened and polished. But she'll get her underlings to do that though." There is actually venom in her voice. Perhaps Johanna was forced to wear a tree suit by Layna? My mind casts back to her Games, and actually I think she did wear one. I feel sorry for her as she's too beautiful to be wearing something like that.

"One good thing though," Johanna starts, "is that you aren't completely like the back end of a donkey. More handsome tributes get sponsors. Count yourself lucky Willow."

Oak stumbles in at this point and sits next to me. Johanna tells him exactly what she told me and soon as he orders and eats toast (I think he feels intimidated by our lack of food) the Capitol comes into sight. Behind Johanna and Petal is a glistening city that I can't even begin to describe. Since the conversation doesn't involve me I stand up and walk towards the window.

I stare at it, the beauty of a city I don't even know. I've seen it on TV, but we're all given a standard one which is can only cope which a few colours and it's the size of a small box. But in real life it is stunning. Petal was right about it looking elegant; it looks like the whole city is just mansions and tall buildings that could be a mile high. The train slows down as we get closer in and I can see people walking down streets in their elaborate clothing and cars. There are a lot of cars here. But once we get to the train station there are crazily coloured Capitol citizens waving at me in our train. I look back to the three sat down and Oak gulps at the sight of these people. Johanna turns round whilst still sat down and smiles at me. A proper genuine smile. "It's a show, after all. Do what you can to make an impression."

I turn back to the window with some sort of confidence and I smile and wave back. The people look thrilled.

This isn't so bad if this is what I have to do to win.

{-.-}

We're one of the earliest Districts to the Remake Centre but our prep team wastes no time in making us 'Capitol ready' as they dub it. They're called Julius and Aleticia, the earlier being a youngish man with green dyed hair and thin yet radiant face. He's constantly smiling and laughing which livens my mood a bit more as he asks me about my lack of a beauty routine. I know that he's being friendly, and in some ways I think he understands that outside of the Capitol looks don't matter entirely. The latter, Aleticia is a young woman (maybe a few years older than me?) with pale skin and giant false eyelashes that look like spider's legs. She wears a shocking pink wig pulled up into a 'beehive' hair style.

"It's from the very olden days." She tells me and she trims the ends off my hair. I'm really not interested but nonetheless Johanna wants me to make a positive impression so I'll be as interested as I can act.

They're wearing plain blue robes over their weird outfits. I wear the same one but it's a bit different when you're not wearing anything underneath. It's often pulled up or off entirely so they can wax me red raw. I'm itchy and I feel dirty and disgusting. I have never felt so embarrassed in all my life.

It must take hours to make me ready. They cut my hair, apply treatments to my skin, do my nails, sort out my eyebrows and basically everything is preened. When my transformation is finally complete I'm wheeled to a private room on what could only be described as a stretcher. The room has blank metallic walls but there is a mirror which covers the whole of the wall to my right and two my left there's a table and two chairs set up for a meal. There's another door that must lead somewhere too. Both of my prep team smile at me; they may actually like me. "You look so much better." States Julius admiringly.

"You're already a winner. Petal says you're a potential contender with the right attitude, and boy, people like you don't come around often." Aleticia compliments with a warm smile.

When I look in the mirror I don't see the me I saw that morning. My hands go to my hair; it's soft and calmer. My hands are smooth and my face seems to have a glow about it. My nails have been shaped and painted with a nude colour. It looks strange when I look in the mirror because I don't tend to do it at home.

I smile weakly at them. I don't feel like talking.

Then, thank goodness they leave me to it. I'm left in that room for about an hour and I notice on the table a jug of water. I gratefully drink the entire contents of the jug in five minutes; pouring it into a wine glass whenever it ran dry. I hadn't drunk since the previous day so I'm parched.

As soon as I put my cup down an older woman walks in. She's wearing a sticky out skirt which is bright yellow and an orange blouse which is quite a sight. She has a briefcase bag which is a bright shade of red. Her wig matches the skirt exactly with a shade of orange that makes me cringe. Her face has been contorted by a lot of surgery; a lot. She can't move her face into any expression and it looks completely blank. She must be at least sixty something.

"Your escort is some kind of woman."

I gulped at her. I don't think she's having a go at me but she sounds flustered.

"Who does she think she is telling me to use her designs?"

I don't know whether she's talking to me or not. I keep quiet and let her rant on.

Then her eyes properly look at me, and she eyes my figure in this stupid gown thing and suddenly spoke again. "Well at least you might be able to pull it off." She pulls a tape measure from around her neck before she pulled a notebook and pen from her briefcase. "Now then I'll measure you first and then we'll have some lunch and discuss business."

So she did. I feel awkward really as she doesn't say anything to me at all nor do I even have a clue who she is. I'm assuming that this is Layna but I'm not particularly sure. She's concentrating and when she'd finally written everything down she gestured to the table and two chairs opposite each other. I sat down nearest to where I'd put my cup and I saw that she had walked over to the door and her finger pressed a button on the wall. She then came over to sit opposite me.

"Your name is Willow, isn't it?"

I nod.

"I'm Layna, the main stylist for 7."

The door opens and women in bright red uniforms came in with two plates, one each. Layna has a salad and my lunch is a chicken dish with a creamy sauce and white rice. I'm under the impression that we're being fattened up on purpose.

"Can we have a jug of pomegranate juice?" She asks one of the women. They both nod and one leaves the room, the other standing one side of the door looking vacant. I begin to eat and quite frankly its one of the most amazing things I have ever eaten. Chicken is a rarity in 7, so its delicate taste is something different and exotic to the strong stews we eat back home. Its rich, and at some points I feel a little queasy. "I got flustered earlier because your escort gave me a design for you and your District partner's opening ceremony outfits. And Johanna gave her the clearance to do it! How unbelievable."

I finish my mouthful of chicken before I speak. "What's the design like?"

One of the women in red comes in and carries a jug of a very dark pink liquid. She pours Layna a glass before she does one for me and she puts it down on the table. She retreats to the door and stands by it; acting invisible.

Layna pulls out a piece of paper with a sketch on it and passes it over to me. Undoubtedly, if Petal has drawn this she's truly talented. There's a dress, with a blue corset with has branches all over it and green leaves. Daylight being blocked out by branches I think. The branches feed into the main skirt of the dress which is slightly puffy and a brown colour. She's written 'shimmery' next to it and underlined it many a time. It's certainly better than a tree suit and being honest it's genuinely beautiful. There's even a small headdress; a branch with leaves that is simple yet beautiful. I like how uncomplicated and showy it all is.

"Wow." That's just about all I can say and I'm careful not to be too loud about it. I don't want to offend Layna since she's so adamant that Petal was wrong.

"And because she's insisted upon it, we have to make it in five hours. Alongside your partner's too! It's like she doesn't understand how much time and effort this is going to take!" I nod in agreement; being neutral is near impossible. I'm glad that she didn't actually hear my praise for the dress.

I put down the drawing and finish eating my lunch. When we're both done Layna takes the sketch back and puts it in her briefcase. "Aleticia will be down soon to get you ready for your tribute photo, then ready for the parade. Now if you'll excuse me I need to go and tend to Oak." She then gets up and leaves me to it. I take the jug of juice and refill my glass. It's refreshing yet sugary. I then take my glass with me as I sit back down on my stretcher. The two women in red clear the table, leaving the jug behind. In a few minutes they're back and they push the table and two chairs up against the mirror near to where I'm sat.

I smile to them and they look sheepish and leave.

Aleticia suddenly comes in with several metallic boxes of stuff. Walking over to the mirror, she puts them down in front of it before she smiles warmly at me. "Ok, so the first thing I need you to do is to put on these." She pulls out a wad of clothing for one of the boxes and hands it to me.

"What's this for?"

"Your tribute photo."

I am completely clueless. I know that Layna mentioned it earlier but still was I really going to ask my very annoyed stylist? Probably not as I'd make her day a whole lot worse.

"Basically it's so people know who you are." She must think I'm so stupid. I want her to like me and not to feel sorry for me.

"Ah." I nod before I turn away from her to change. It's awkward after all when a complete stranger knows your body better than you do. I put on the plain underwear in double quick time before I properly managed to look at the clothes I have to wear. The pants are khaki green and the t-shirt nude. I'm also forced to wear a rain jacket that's made of plastic black material. I put them all on and turn to look at Aleticia.

"Do I have shoes?"

She's setting up various hair care appliances and make-up palettes when her pale blue eyes suddenly latch onto me. "No. They only take a photo of your torso upwards but they like you to wear pants anyway." She sighs. "This could be your arena wear."

I gulp at the mention of the killing fields and my eyes look to my clothing. Could these be the clothes I die in?

"Come sit over here, I need to do your hair."

I walk over and sit on a chair facing the table and the mirrored wall. When I sit down she runs her hands through my hair. "You can do a lot with thick hair. How do you usually wear it?"

"A bun or a ponytail. I only ever wear it down for the reapings."

She starts plaiting the sides into a braid I've never seen before. The pieces used are thin and as her fingers entwine with my hair I can't help but wonder what sort of crazy hair style she will implement on me.

"Now what I'm doing is called a fishtail braid. I'm going to do one tiny one on each side and it will feed into one big one. It'll look fantastic and classy at the same time." She looks up at me and my rather impressed looking face. A braid is thank goodness better than her beehive. "Do you want me to teach you?"

So she does. It takes several minutes for me to even grasp what she's aiming for. Eventually I manage to make the two small braids on either side of my head but I stop when they reach the back of my neck. Then she just simply does one large one starting from the base of my neck going straight down my back. As she finishes she leaves my hair to look through one of the boxes to pull out a smaller mirror and a hair tie. She ties the end and picks up the mirror to show me her work.

I can honestly say that it's beautiful. I've never really treasured my hair so seeing it look so nice it makes me feel touched by her work and her vision.

"Thank you." I hope she understands how sincere I am.

She puts the mirror down before she smiles back at me. "Now then, I've just got to do some light touching up on your face then you're ready. Not that you need a lot of work anyway."

The corners of my lips tug into a smile. It seems that I have an ally.

{-.-}

What I love about Aleticia is that she lets me do most things that I want. She doesn't complain when I have to use the adjoining toilet nor does she mind when I blow my nose. She's laid back and caring.

The tribute photo is actually a video. I am told to be myself as a camera person comes in and sets up various pieces of equipment. When he's ready to get the camera rolling I remember myself at the reaping and how I tried to make myself look. I need to make an impression for my own survival so I smiled like I was actually confident that I was going to win. Aleticia grins at me behind him and nods. I feel like I have done something right.

Then after the camera guy leaves Aleticia starts to style me for the chariot ride. She has me sit in my underwear in a fluffy white robe white is a lot warmer than the gown I had to wear earlier.

"Relax and let me sort everything out for you, you'll be fine."

Then Layna comes in with the first part of my dress covered over with a white bag, or at least I assume so. So much for relaxing. "Right, let's see if the corset will fit." She smiles at me uneasily and the confidence I had from earlier pulls right out of me.

I stand up and Aleticia and Layna peel the robe from me and bring out a plain pale blue corset. It looks excruciating. They put it on me and pull tight on the laces at the back and I gasp at how much air is being sucked out of me. Then after about ten minutes of trying to get my waist to shrink Layna takes off my bra straps and gets and chair and puts it next to me. She then pulls out from the bag individual branches, made of real wood, but it looks sort of plastic. It's not the wood I'm used to.

"Hold still as I have to pin these to your corset. Wouldn't want to stab you!" She doesn't really sound sure at the last part. How nice she is.

So I stand there whilst Layna pins branches all the way round my corset and Aleticia pins leaves to them. The process leaves my legs hurting and cold, alongside my ribcage hurting ridiculously. Eventually Layna starts to sew all of it on and Aleticia starts to sort out my hair. She pulls it from its braids until it's completely free.

"I think your hair down would be nice. Curled a little maybe but still natural like a tree." She smiles as I can see it reflected in the mirror. They're like artists, all of the stylists. And the tributes are the canvasses but only one of us is remembered.

With another stylist, Layna, I notice is calmer and when she's busy sewing she doesn't talk at all. Aleticia divides my hair down the centre and applies some sort of straightening device to the ends only. Once she's done that she braids a few very small segments and entwines them with green thread. Then she then puts a hair appliance to my hair which somehow makes it curl at the ends. She makes me hold my breath and she sprays something to keep every hair in place. Layna coughs but carries on silently and soon enough she's done.

"We've got an hour and we haven't even got the skirt or have her make-up on! What are Julius and Petal doing?" She rushes out of the room running on heels which are too tall for her. It's mildly amusing for the both of us as I can see a smirk appear on Aleticia's face.

I'm allowed to sit down now and my legs are grateful but my sides still feel like they're being compressed. Aleticia has already applied a light base to my face earlier and so starts to work on everything else. She applies make-up to my eyes, using 'eyeliner' on the very bit of skin before by actual eyeballs which frame them but makes my eyes water. It's hard for me not to resist the urge to blink. She then puts a little green dust on my eyelids.

She pours me a cup of juice and hands it to me. "No more drinking after I apply lip colour ok?"

I nod and drink it all quickly. I am parched after a day of talking. I put the empty glass on the table before Aleticia applies a small amount of pink to my cheeks and a pale pink colour to my lips. When I see myself in the mirror I actually like the way she's made me look; reflective of my District yet feminine. She's made me look like a person who doesn't look Capitol crazy.

Layna comes back in with another bag. "We've got half an hour before they are meant to be on the chariots!" She pulls out the skirt and it's changed since the sketch. It's a metallic brown but with green netting over it. Then Layna puts out a pair of brown heels on the floor. I hope she realises that I've never worn a pair in my whole life.

I step into the skirt and the pair hoist it up. Whilst they adjust it to be underneath my corset a sudden pang of nerves hit me and I feel so sick. I then step into my shoes and stumble forwards to the door.

"Take them off and put them on once you're in the chariot." Aleticia advises.

Just as we leave Layna exclaims, "The headdress! We left the headdress!"

Typical.

We race back into the room, me clutching the shoes before the pair fumble to find one of those plastic branches that's in a circle, but with a small amount of leaves on it. Aleticia puts it on my head and adjusts it in seconds. She smiles. "Perfection." I catch a glance of myself in the mirror. I look, strange. I'm wearing make-up and I look older than what I normally do. The corset creates the illusion I have a perfect figure, and the dress is just stunning put all together. I don't feel like I deserve it.

I'm then ushered walk down a corridor that's wide and metallic to an area that's basically a stable. There are chariots in order which District 12 at the back, and 1 at the front. We walk past them to get to our chariot. The horses are brown; beautiful and shiny. I've always loved horses but now isn't the time to get acquainted with the locals.

Oak's stood near the chariot with Petal and Julius who both are eyeing everyone nervously. My district partner is wearing a cape of the branches and leaves woven in together which shields a pale blue shirt that has painted branches and leaves on it. The detail is fantastic which makes up for the plain brown pants he wears. His face screams his nerves even more than mine does.

"Oh darling you look fabulous!" Petal exclaims when she sees me.

"Thank you." That seems to be all that I'm saying today. Thanks for what, preparing me for slaughter?

When Oak spots me his face flushes slightly. This day is getting better and better.

I can hear the baying crowd from outside. My hands are shaking and I'm too nervous to listen to any instructions. We get on the chariots and Petal, Julius, Aleticia and Layna leave to go and wait for us afterwards in the Training Centre. I slip my feet into the heels and a feel like I'm five foot ten now instead of my five foot seven self. I feel so nervous and weird.

Someone is announcing something to the people waiting to see us. Soon the first chariot leaves to the roaring crowd and the Panem anthem playing in the background. I can't breathe probably due to the corset and my nerves.

I can't do this I can't do this I can't do this.

When it's our turn the pull of the chariot makes me grip it tightly before the crowd's reaction makes me think about Johanna's words. I need to make an impression. I'm frozen at first as I take in the stands of thousands of people wanting to get a glance of us.

I then start to wave and put on my best smile. Oak is attempting to do the same too but he's more sheepish in his actions. People are shouting for our District, our names. It feels so weird yet somehow reassuring. Then suddenly the noise is deafening, particularly from the stands that we've passed. I turn quickly to see the tributes from 12 quite literally on fire. I turn back and carry on waving and smiling regardless although I feel that Petal's efforts have been well and truly usurped.

It carries on that way, even when the horses form a half circle which is directly in front of the area reserved for President Snow the crowd is literally shouting for District 12. I turn back to have another look at them and their fire goes out. They're both holding their hands up to the sky and both look overjoyed. Then our leader talks.

He's an old greying man. That's the only way I can describe him. I don't like him, nor respect him or have any words to sum up him as a person. I nod when I hear his monotonous drone because that's what is expected of us; the loyal citizens. He doesn't deserve anyone's respect for what he makes 24 teenagers do every year.

"May the odds be ever in your favour!" He ends and the chariots move into the basement floor of the Training Centre. This will be our home for the next few days. Once inside our chariots stop to let us off before I kick my shoes off and carry them with me. We're directed through a door by Peacekeepers to a white and wide open space; some kind of viewing area where screens are and sofas. It all looks clean and fresh and there's me with my bare feet. Our team spots us and walk over.

"You were fantastic!" Petal says.

Johanna's there with them looking as casual as ever in her skirt and top. But there's a smile on her face. "Not too shabby."

Then there's a sudden change in atmosphere as the two tributes from 12 walk past us to meet their stylists and mentor. It's weird. Everyone looks at them including our prep team too. Even the tributes. Katniss Everdeen is beautiful in person, her dark brown – almost black – hair braided into lots of little braids and pulled up into different shapes. I feel a pang of envy.

"I can't believe they did that." Layna states. "That's cheating."

"What is, being coal from a coal mining district?" Johanna retorts. She actually looks impressed with the pair and I realised that she's looking at the girl she tipped to win instead of us. The one who volunteered.

Layna is quiet; she's been put in her place. Soon the group from 12 leave because the male Career from 2 is staring holes into them.

"We still got a fair bit of attention. I think it's because you guys aren't in a tree suit." Johanna, charming as ever really loves insulting Layna. There's a massive grudge there but it's quite humorous to listen to. Our lead stylist looks a little awkward but Petal is beaming with pride. So she should for what she's done for us.

I suddenly feel something. Someone's looking at me. I turn to my left to where most of the other tributes are with their mentors. The male Career from 2 is looking around at everyone but he's just turned away from me. I narrow my eyes as he's scrutinizing everyone, not just me. He's weighing up his competitors in the flesh for the first time. His attention turns back to me, the normal girl from District 7. His eyes are an icy blue and they make my skin crawl. He's wearing a gold outfit, a headdress of some kind that looks archaic and heroic. He's well built; he looks more like he has more muscle in real life than we does on TV. He's got a smile on his face, a smirk that means he thinks I'm nothing or he thinks that I'm not a competitor. His head is tilted upwards which makes him seem even more the arrogant Career that we see year on year. He's eyeing me up and down and I feel disgusting watching him do that.

Johanna and Petal then gesture for us to follow them before Aleticia, Julius and Layna leave. Before I go, I smile back the most confident smile I give.

Determination scares people.

{-.-}

When I saw the amount of reviews I was like 'OH GOOD LORD ARE THEY ALL FLAMES?' Especially since when I went to bed I had 3, wake up to find 10. Then seven more. You guys... you're lovely and I shall virtually hug you all *hugs*. I spend about seven hours writing a chapter and all you have to do is spend a minute reviewing, pleeeeease?

And to cereline, I really don't want Willow to be weak or overtly strong. It's hard to get a mix and hopefully I'm doing it right! This chapter has been so hard to write and I hope you all don't hate me for it. As a consolation, training begins next chapter!

OK here's a question for you guys: if you were in the Hunger Games what would be your reaction to being told your opening ceremony outfit is a tree suit?

I know the thing about tree suits is rolling on but in Catching Fire Johanna does say her stylist consistently chose them to be outfits for 40 years straight. Hence Layna and Johanna's pretty bad relationship.

Please review!

(p.s. I forgot to say that I don't own the Hunger Games. Soz Scholastic and Suzanne Collins)

(edited 28/4/12 for grammar and spelling mistakes)